Since You've Been Gone
by AshyyBaby
Summary: A promise is a promise. But how long will she be waiting? With each sunset that concludes the day, a new set of tears fall. But her heart remains strong. Songfic.


_Here's the thing  
We started out friends_

How was it that Kairi always ended up in this place? The cold stone walls always seemed so beautiful to her when the sun snuck in from a hole in the roof of the cavern. But...at the same time -- it was so horrible. Whenever she came to this place, this dreaded, beloved place, the memories stung her like bees, wracking her brain, just daring the tears to fall.

Now, her trembling legs had stopped. She was standing before a nearly blank wall. The only blemish on the gray rock was down toward the bottom of the sheet. Her legs buckled beneath her and she sank to her knees. A shaky, delicate hand stretched out until her dainty fingers began to carress the scars edged into the surface of the cave.

_It was cool, but it was all pretend  
_  
It was them; Sora and Kairi. She remembered everything about that day. Yes, **everything. **The way his hair stuck up in all sorts of directions from lack of listening to his mother about combing it out before he left the house; the color shoes she was wearing and how everything between her ivory sun-dress with purple edges and socks had to match; how they had met up at Riku's house for breakfast before his mom got mad at him for not cleaning his room, making him unable to tour the islands with them. Oh, everything was so much simpler back then. Not like now. No. Especially not since Kairi came today. The reminder of Sora hurt her so bad. Her fingers traced along the most precious shape of the picture. A star. But no, it was no ordinary blob of light -- it was a paupu. Being outstretched from Sora's hand to her mouth. Yes, these were the things that hurt her most. At last, the tears began to fall.

_Yeah, yeah, since you been gone_

The princess couldn't take it. She couldn't stay in this place any longer. She staggered to her feet, the tears still rolling. Then, she sprinted out, sobbing the whole way. As she made her way down the deserted beaches, her red, puffy, watery eyes were fixed on one thing: the islet with the paupu tree. Yes, it was their place; all three of theirs, and she could remember every waking moment they spent sitting on that tree, talking about anything and everything.

_You're dedicated, you took the time  
Wasn't long 'til I called you mine_

She forced her eyes away and kept on running. Why do all of these things -- these oh, so painful things -- always flood back to her when she's least expecting it. Her heart was breaking from every day she spent without them here.

_Yeah, yeah, since you been gone_

Suddenly, she stopped, dropping to the heated sand, her hands curled, her eyes stinging. She beat at the shore with her fists, making soft grunts and exasperated sounds. She couldn't take it....She was in so much pain.

_And all you'd ever hear me say  
Is how I picture me with you_

"How could you just leave!?" she screamed to the sky, the salty water running from her cheeks making dark pools in the sand.

"Why didn't you even say goodbye!? It's not fair! Oh...Oh it's just not fair!"

_That's all you'd ever hear me say_

As Kairi collapsed back into the sandy bed of the beach, she began to choke and sputter on mindless grumbles. Laying there, limp and helpless, her tears began to slow. Soon, they were tried against her flush cheeks. She felt so weak and sore. So tired. Now, she was calm. There, motionless in the sand, she began to realize, if she could last this long, with her tantrums included, maybe there was help for herself. Maybe, just maybe, she could live.

_But since you been gone  
I can breathe for the first time_

But no, she loved them. More than anything in this world, she still loved them. She knew they were out there -- somewhere. She knew they were alive. She just didn't know when they'd be back, or how she could find them. Slowly pulling herself to her feet was difficult, too difficult for the exhausted girl. So, she lifelessly fell back into the golden grains beneath her. And that was when she heard a voice. Soft at first, but slowly, it got louder. And then came its accompiniment -- pounding footsteps.

"Kairi! Kairi! KAIRI!"

She looked up, her eyes squinting past their after-bawl haze. "Oh, hey Selphie."

The girl dressed in yellow knealt down and scooped up the girl. After a bit of a struggle with weight, they decided to settle on sitting, Kairi perched against the ilander's shoulder.

"What happened to you, Kairi?" asked Selphie, her dark eyes filled to the brim with concern. "You look like you've been crying."

The princess nodded. "I can't get them out of my head."

"Who?"

"Sora and Riku."

She asked the obvious question. "Your friends? The boys you always used to hang out with?"

Kairi nodded again.

"Hmmm," mused the girl. She tilted her chin skyward and murmured a low, "I wonder whatever happened to them." Presently, her gaze shifted to Kairi, hoping for some sort of answer.

All she got was a sigh then this: "They're out there somewhere. Protecting eachother...and these islands, too. I know they have a good reason to be out there, and I know I should stop being so selfish --

_I'm so movin' on, yeah yeah_

"because I know they'll be back. Someday. Someday, soon."

"Well, that's good. Good for them, good for you," Selphie went on to say. "Good for everyone, I suppose."

Another lifeless nod from the ruby angel. She couldn't fight with the girl's logic. After all, she did usually have the highest marks in class. Things grew silent from there. It was more of a companionable silence, not really that awkward. What was more uncomfortable was when Selphie suddenly broke that peaceful quiet for another unneccessary question.

"Are you going to be okay?"

This rose a smile out of her. "Yeah," she said, after mulling it over in her brain for a moment. She tilted her head as she spoke, watching the sun hide behind distant clouds as it dropped toward the horizion. "I think, without them being here, you know, to shield me from everything I'm scared of...they're making me stronger."

_Thanks to you, now I get what I want_

"You really think so?"

"Yeah," said Kairi, "I really do."

"You miss them alot, don't you Kairi?"

Anyone else would have easily snapped at the girl for asking such useless things, but this only made the girl laugh. She tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled broadly.

"Yeah, I do. But...Until they come home...I think I'll be...okay."

_Since you been gone_


End file.
